Temporary Insanity (The Children's Version)

By: ML Thompson  <thomplaw@tbaytel.net>

Rated: PG-13

Submitted: July 2005

* * * * * * * * * My thanks to Carol and Gerry for their assistance on this story.  As always, they gave me a lot of good tips to make this story  better. And thanks to Julie for editing this story for the  archives.

* * * * * * * * * Have You Lost Your Mind, Clark? By: ML Thompson thomplaw@tbaytel.net July 2005 * * * * * * * * *

Lois Lane was finished breeding. This was the last time she was  going to do this! Although, to be honest, she could recall  thinking that once before. Still, this was absolutely the last  time!

She muffled a scream as the pain hit her again. Her back felt as  if someone were trying to snap it in two. She felt Clark's grip on  her hand tighten and flinched inside. This was all his fault. She  could clearly remember that puppy-dog look on his face when he'd  first brought up the subject of a second child. She loved their  son, Jon, to death. But the past year had been more than a little  challenging.

"They don't call them the terrible twos for nothing," Martha had  laughed.

Of course, Martha could laugh about it. After all, her favorite  grandson, as Martha liked to call him, was always good as gold  whenever his precious grandmother was around. She didn't realize  what a handful Jon could be. If ever there were a more curious  child, Lois wasn't sure she would want to meet him. And fast...  How Jon could get from one mess to another so quickly, Lois was  entirely uncertain. When she'd complained to Clark that Jon's  flying abilities seemed to have kicked in a little early, Clark  had just laughed.

But then, he could laugh. After all, with his powers, he could  keep up with Jon.

"Breathe, Lois."

Clark's voice seemed far away, coming through the fog of pain that  surrounded her.

"Short breaths, like we learned in..."

"I know how to breathe, Clark," she snapped back, before putting  into practice the breathing technique she'd learned with the birth  of their first child. It didn't help much. If only someone could  find a way to bottle this pain, it would make a great method of  torture. The only reason it wasn't had to be because most torture  techniques had probably been invented by men. But then, in this  case, the pain she was in was definitely the fault of a man. She  turned her head slightly to glare at Clark.

"Come on. You can do it, honey."

Honey. Oh, yeah. He'd called her 'honey' then, too. A weekend in  the tropics. Jon spending time with his grandparents. It was  Sunday afternoon and Lois had been basking in the afterglow of  making love on the deserted beach, the warm sun like a caress on  her naked skin. She was just drifting off into a contented sleep  when Clark had spoken.

"You know, honey..." Clark's voice had been soft and soothing,  lulling her into a false sense of security. "...maybe it's time we  started thinking about giving Jon a little brother or sister. So  do you want some ice chips?"

Lois' eyes snapped open. The pain had passed, although she knew  that was temporary. The contractions were coming more quickly now.  She looked into Clark's hopeful eyes as he offered her the ice...

...and scowled. She'd seen that same expression of hope on his  face when they'd been on that deserted beach. "Have you lost your  mind, Clark?" she had asked in response to his comment about  having a second child.

Clark had only smiled. His finger traced a path down her arm. It  was a long time before he continued, just as softly. "If Jon does  have my powers, it would be great for him to have someone he can  talk to about it. Besides..." He propped himself up on an arm so  that he could look down into her face. The look of hope in his  eyes reminded her of a puppy-dog begging for a cookie.  "...wouldn't you like to have another baby? Don't you remember how  it felt the first time you held Jon in your arms?"

Her expression had softened as she remembered the wonder of that  moment. Still... In spite of all the help Clark gave her, the  responsibility of raising Jon seemed to fall primarily on her  shoulders. And although she didn't resent it, the thought of  having another child to care for...

"Clark..."

"I'm not looking for an answer right now," Clark had said, as if  anticipating her hesitation. "I'm just saying that maybe we should  think about it."

Yep. That had been the day all right. The day that had led to this  one where... She couldn't quite stifle the scream when the pain  hit this time. She hadn't remembered it hurting quite this much.  Drugs! They were in the hospital. Why hadn't she asked for drugs?  Was she insane? "I want drugs!" she gasped, releasing Clark's hand  so that she could grab onto the front of his hospital frock,  pulling him closer to emphasize her demand. "Get me some drugs!"

"It's too late, Lois."

Clark's voice was drowned out by the doctor saying, "It's time. I  need you to push."

Lois sat up slightly, pushing with all her might as she grasped  Clark's hand once again, digging her fingernails into it as hard  as she could. She knew she wasn't hurting him, although at this  moment, she couldn't help but wish she was. If she had to go  through this, the least he could do was to feel a little pain as  well.

"Push, Lois," Clark said, trying to encourage her.

What the hell did he think she was doing - taking the day off to  go to a spa? The pain was blinding, encompassing her entire body  as she continued to push.

"Come on, Lois. You can do it."

Why did he have to sound so much like a cheerleader, anyway? What  did he want her to do - catch the football and win the Stanley Cup  or whatever the big prize was called? What was he going to say  next? 'Lois. Lois. She's our man. If she can't do it, no one can.'  "Argg," she groaned pushing as hard as she could until she finally  collapsed back onto the bed.

"You're starting to crown."

'Well, yippee,' thought Lois. 'Just get this thing out of me.'

"Just one more push," said the doctor.

"Come on, Lois. We'll soon be there."

We! What the hell did he mean by 'we?' He was just sitting there,  holding her hand and chanting weird things in her ear. Surely with  all those superpowers he could do something more. Maybe he could  just reach in and rip this thing out of her. It couldn't hurt any  more than it did right now. And at least that way would be quick.

Why was he even here, anyway? He'd already done his part. And she  could remember his part as if it were yesterday.

"I'll be back in a minute," panted Lois, moving to get off the  bed. He put his hand on the other side of her body.

"Why?" he asked.

"Protection. I forgot..."

He began kissing her neck. "Have you thought any more about what  we discussed?"

"Huh?" She had no idea where he was going with this.

"About having another child."

"Clark..." She closed her eyes and moaned as he began nibbling at  the base of her throat. As tempting as it was to let him continue,  this was not a decision she was going to make simply because she  was too overcome by passion to take the time to put in her  diaphragm. She placed a hand on either side of his head and pulled  his mouth away from her neck.

Her heart almost came to a complete stop when she looked into his  hopeful eyes. She let out a breath. "You'll take midnight  feedings?"

"And change the diapers," he promised, his hand coming up to cross  his heart.

She gave her head a slight shake, a smile coming involuntarily to  her lips. "Well..."

"Yes?"

The optimistic tone she could hear in his voice was her complete  undoing. She had to admit, since he'd mentioned the idea when  they'd been in the tropics, she'd been thinking about the  possibility of another child. It would be nice for Jon to have a  sibling. She knew how much having Lucy had meant to her when she  had been growing up. She also knew how much Clark wished he had a  sibling - someone with whom to share the unique burden that came  with being him. And after all, how much more work could it be  taking care of two children than it was taking care of one? And at  the moment, she hadn't been able remember a single reason why this  was not a good idea.

She cried out again as she resumed pushing, suddenly thinking of  one very good reason why this was not a good idea. Pain! Total,  blinding pain! Pain which encompassed her entire being. Pain which  wouldn't end until her insides had been ripped to shreds. Why  hadn't she told him that they could only have a second child if he  gave birth to it? That might have shut him up permanently.

Lois let her head drop back on the pillow in utter exhaustion as  the sound of a child's cries filled her ears.

"Congratulations. You have a healthy son," said the doctor. "Would  you like to cut the umbilical cord?"

Lois looked up as Clark finished cutting the umbilical cord and  the still screaming infant was taken by the nurse to be weighed  and cleaned. After wrapping the child in a soft warm blanket, the  nurse handed him to his adoring father.

Why was the nurse giving Lois' child to that man? Didn't she know  he was the villain in this piece? He was responsible for all of  this. Yet he wasn't the one who had been forced to push something  the size of a bowling ball from his body! He'd contributed a  moment's pleasure to the creation of this new life. Nothing more!  This was her child!

Lois' internal rant suddenly ended and her insides unexpectedly  turned to mush when she observed Clark's face as he looked down  into the face of his newborn son for the first time.

"Hey there, little guy," Clark said softly. "I'm your daddy."  Clark adjusted the newborn easily so that he was cradled in the  crook of his arm. Lifting his free hand, he offered a finger to  his son. Lois couldn't help but smile as the little guy attempted  to wrap his hand around the large finger. "Do you want to meet  your mommy?" Clark asked, before moving up towards the head of the  bed, his eyes finally meeting Lois'.

The look of love and wonder in his eyes was hypnotizing. She broke  eye contact with her husband only when he finally moved close  enough to place a small, squirming infant in her arms. She looked  down. He was easily the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen - at  least since the day she'd given birth to Jon. She traced a finger  lightly over the small child's cheek, gently learning every line  of the tiny face. Bright eyes actively sought out hers, seeming to  give her a look of recognition, before he shut his eyes and  drifted off to sleep.

"You were wonderful," said Clark. "I just wish it hadn't been so  painful for you."

She looked up at him, tears congregating in the corners of her  eyes. "It wasn't so bad, Clark," she said, before looking back  with love at her newborn son.

Clark smiled, taking a seat beside her. "You know," Clark said,  his voice soft and soothing, "maybe we should think about doing  this again someday."

Lois' eyes snapped up to look into his.

"I'm sure the boys would love a little sister."

"Have you lost your mind, Clark?" she asked to which he only  smiled.

The End

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